Paganism, the word rang like a Liberty Bell in my ears as I turned from childhood to adult hood, and it still resonates inside me now. Like so many others who tell the same story, my early life was filled with people pushing a religion onto me as if it was a fact of life. Christianity was supposed to be the only option any sane person should contemplate. Christianity with its straight jacket that stops you embracing the love and the pure joy of life. Don't get me wrong, I am not speaking for all Christians here, just the ones I was brought up and surrounded by. Unable to embrace the love and pure joy of life when all you wanted to do was to shout at the top of a hill that you were in love with your creator. Told to not be so vocal and to sit quiet in a cold church and be instructed as to how you had sinned and how you had to repent, when all you wanted to do was to.............

As I reached adulthood and was able to escape forced Sunday morning church visit and the nightly bible reading, I came across paganism and I was set free, free to go to the top of any hill and shout that I love my creator.

My real name is Debbie and at the time of this text have been a member of Pagan Heart for several months. Yet another Liberty Bell. No one telling me how I should be a pagan, no one giving me rules as to how this section of paganism should be followed. Many people wonder why there are so many solitary pagans, its simple, most of us don't want someone else telling us how we should be a pagan, or a witch, or a druid, or a shaman. We just want to be ourselves. For some of us it has taken a long time to find our Liberty Bell and no one is going to tell us how it should be rang.

I have been on a few pagan forums, some that expect you to follow their version of paganism, they give instructions as to how your path should be followed. I am a member of Pagan Heart because it welcomes you inside and then tells you to do what you feel is right for you. How refreshing. Yet another Liberty Bell.

I lead a very busy life. I am mother to 3 lovely girls. The eldest girl is in her first year of university and the other two are in high school. I also work full time as a psychiatric nurse which has been my career for the last 18 years. Despite my busy life, I do manage to drive out of the city to a remote woodland area or some nice hill top and climb up a hill side to shout to my creator that I am in love. My children used to try and hush me up with embarrassment, but if they are with me now, they just except it. My Liberty Bell cannot be silenced!